Reviving small idle mines across Iran has added over 22,000 tons to the country’s minerals production output in the first 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2021-January 20, 2022), an official with the Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry announced.
According to Reza Azimi, who directs the ministry’s program for reviving and developing small mines, over 453 such mines have been revived and developed in the mentioned 11 months creating job opportunities for over 3,500 people, IRNA reported.
Azimi said the most important goal of this program, which is being implemented by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), is to activate the country’s mines, which will result in increased production and employment, especially in deprived areas.
“Our focus is on the development and supporting of inactive and expandable mines across the country using private sector capital,” the official said.
According to Azimi, the total number of revived mines has reached 852 since the launch of the program in late March 2019 until January 20, 2021.
From the beginning of this year to the end of the Iranian calendar month of Bahman (January 20), operations were conducted on 503 mines in collaboration with provincial working groups, and necessary measures were taken which include the removal of administrative barriers, providing investment, and resolving local conflicts, he said.
Back in December 2021, Azimi had mentioned concluding 37 memorandums of understanding (MOU) for investment, and scientific-research cooperation with knowledge-based companies, as well as the introduction of 124 projects to Mining Investment Insurance Corporation for receiving facilities, and the support and coaching of knowledge-based companies and startups as other measures taken under the framework of the mentioned program.
As reported, IMIDRO is conducting the program with the aim of providing feedstock for mineral industries, increasing production and completing the mining industry’s product chain, and developing and creating sustainable employment.
Following this program, so far various small-scale mines including chromite, manganese, hematite, dolomite, iron ore, copper, and construction stone mines have been surveyed by monitoring and diagnosing the problems of the mines and providing solutions for resolving their issues.
Over the past few years with new resilient economy strategies coming into play, the mining sector has become a major point of focus for the Iranian government and various organizations and bodies active in this sector have been tasked to implement new programs for boosting this sector.
As a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in the country, IMIDRO has been playing a significant part in the mentioned planning.
The organization has been implementing several new programs in all the main fields of the mining industry including exploration, machinery development, extraction and also reviving the country’s idle mines.
